As portable electronic devices become smaller, there is an increasing demand for such devices to be equipped with displays that are also smaller yet to have a capability of providing high performance such as high resolution, color, and video rate pictures. One popular style of such portable electronic devices is a clam-shell style, which has a closed position and an opened position and commonly includes two displays having one display for the closed position and another for the opened position. The display for the closed position is externally viewable but typically has reduced display capabilities such as no color, less display area, and less resolution; and the display for the opened position is generally the main display typically having a larger display area than the externally viewable display and supports the full display functionality.
However, although useful and desirable, having two displays in a portable electronic device increases the size of the portable electronic device, most noticeably in thickness. Further, to make both displays readable in darkness, a light source such as a back-light for each display is needed, which further adds thickness to the portable electronic device.